The Coalition for Truth and Justice (CTJ) has demanded that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclose the identity of the top military officer it alleged owned the N10.9 billion assets recently forfeited to the Federal Government.
Recall that the EFCC, on February 14, claimed to have obtained a final forfeiture order from the Federal High Court in Abuja in respect of the assets that were unlawfully acquired by a “top military officer.”
According to a press statement issued by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, the agency failed to identify the supposed “top military officer” and provided no reason why it chose to keep the identity secret.
However, CTJ has requested that the EFCC and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) disclose the identity of the person involved.
CTJ’s National Coordinator, Barrister Timothy Charles, argued that the EFCC decision to keep the identity of the military officer secret was capable of sending wrong signals to the military, which might bring about unnecessary and unreasonable suspicion amongst military officers and the attendant impact it might have on their productivity level.
Charles said in a statement that “the Coalition for Truth and Justice views the actions of the EFCC as an affront on our sensibilities by electing to act like it is unaware that the monies and the principal suspect have their origin from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
”Therefore, the coinage ‘military officer’ by the EFCC is bewildering because the indices are clear as regards the fact that the said military officer was acting for a powerful interest in the Office of the National Security Adviser.”
